Government shutdown impacting low-income senior meals

mydorchester.com

Patrick CenterOctober 4, 2013 | WGVU In Kent County, 1,300 senior households will go without nutritious meals. This is food delivered by the Area Community Services Employment & Training Council through the government’s Food and Nutrition Service to seniors with an annual income of $14,000 or less.

“You know, they get good quality meals.”

That’s Jacob Maas, executive director at ASCET.

“And then just to understand that those individuals aren’t going to be able to get those basic needs, those food needs, and not really have much of an option to refer them to other than hopefully their local food pantry, it’s tough.”

Seniors are being made aware their meals no longer exist. Heart of West Michigan United Way is attempting to bridge the gap.

“The food pantries are separate from…are not being affected by the shutdown.”

Sherri Vainavicz is 2-1-1 program manager.

“So we would connect folks with the food pantries available in the community.”

Vainavicz tells us there’s been a 20 percent uptick in phone calls to United Way 2-1-1.That’s because ASCET’s weatherization, emergency and migrant emergency services are also being reduced. Half the ACSET staff has been laid off.

Maas explains, “So it’s a really difficult position that we are in right now federally. I just hope that they realize that there are individuals who are impacted whether they be employees of the government, contractors of the government or the participants themselves those that are most in need of our services.”